1. Technical Field
Our invention relates to migration of database information and files from one or more data storage systems to another data storage system, including backing up database information and files on one or more storage systems, and file migration to and from high density nonvolatile storage, with immediate, delayed, and scheduled backup.
2. Description of Related Art
Data intensive enterprises frequently operate with many different, disparate and dissimilar storage platforms from many different vendors. There is a frequent need to migrate data between these dissimilar storage platforms. As used herein “data migration” is the movement of data from one or more storage systems, that is, source storage systems, to target storage systems. Data migration may be motivated by upgrading storage systems, consolidating storage systems and data, replacing existing storage systems, and load balancing.
The data migration process is typically complex and labor-intensive in today's business environment. This is because of the myriad of application servers, operating systems, file systems, volume management methodologies, physical devices, and networks. Information Technology departments face ever more challenges in migrating data. These challenges include the downtime involved in data migration, the frequent need to add data migration software to servers, the potential for data loss and corruption, the chance for error arising from heterogeneous environments, and simply the time involved.
Presently data is migrated between these different, disparate, and dissimilar platforms using host level mirroring with host based software. In the host based software approach with host level mirroring, the host software captures I/O operations before they leave the host and replicates them on the target storage device. But, installing host based software is itself inconvenient, requiring IPL's or reboots. Moreover, the host based software approach frequently requires additional software between the host operating system and the physical devices being migrated. Thus, host level mirroring with host based software is not a completely satisfying solution.
Another reason that host level mirroring is not altogether satisfactory is that many hosts do not supply the mirroring software, and therefore third party software solutions must be purchased. Typical third party solutions include Doubletake for Windows, HP Mirror, and Veritas for Sun. Data migration using third party software typically utilizes host level mirroring and is frequently labor intensive
Given these obstacles, a clear need exists for a data migration system, method, and program product that is non-intrusive to the underlying business process, and relatively easy to implement.